Early creative skills indicate intelligence in teen years

A new study has suggested that kids' drawings at the age of four are linked to their intelligence when they reach 14 which seem to be influenced by the genes.

The research conducted at the King's College London showed that differences in children's drawings had an important genetic link.

Dr Rosalind Arden, lead author of the paper from the MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry (SGDP) Centre at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London, said that 'The Draw-a-Child' test was devised in the 1920's to assess children's intelligence, so the fact that the test correlated with intelligence at age 4 was expected.

Arden asserted that the correlation was moderate, so their findings were interesting, but it did not mean that parents should worry if their child drew badly. Drawing ability did not determine intelligence, there were countless factors, both genetic and environmental, which affected intelligence in later life.

He explained that this did not mean that there was a drawing gene a child's ability to drew stems from many other abilities, such as observing, holding a pencil etc.

Arden added that drawing was an ancient behavior, dating back beyond 15,000 years ago and through drawing, they were attempting to show someone else what was in their mind.

The study is published in Psychological Science.